Ruba Ali Al-Hassani

Postdoctoral Research Associate Lancaster University

  • Lancaster

Contact

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Biography

Ruba Ali Al-Hassani is a Postdoctoral Research Associate at Lancaster University's Department of Politics, Philosophy and Religion and a legal sociologist. Her research employs interdisciplinary methodologies to Iraqi studies, Law, transitional Justice, crime, social control, and social movements. Ruba is also a contributing writer at Inside Arabia and The New Arab. Her commentary and analysis have been featured on networks throughout North America, Europe, and the Middle East, including the BBC and CBC, and in four languages. She co-founded the Canadian Association for Muslim Women in Law and is a board member at the Canadian Centre for Victims of Torture. She has taught at York University and Trent University. Ruba holds a B.Sc. in Psychology & Sociology, a M.A. in Criminology, and an LL.M. in transitional justice, as she completes her PhD at Osgoode Hall Law School, Canada.

Industry Expertise

Religious Institutions
Law Enforcement
Social Media
Writing and Editing
International Affairs

Areas of Expertise

Middle Eastern Affairs
Iraqi Affairs
Iraqi Politics
Counter-Terrorism
War on ISIS / Daesh
Islamophobia
Racial Profiling
Anti-Shia sectarianism

Education

Trent University

B.Sc. (Hons)

Sociology, Psychology

2004

University of Toronto

M.A.

Criminology

2005

Osgoode Hall Law School, York University

LL.M.

Transitional Justice in Iraq

2008

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Affiliations

  • Co-Founder, of Canadian Association of Muslim Women in Law
  • Board Member, Canadian Centre for Victims of Torture
  • Regional Representative, Iraqi Orphan Aid Foundation

Languages

  • English
  • Arabic
  • French

Media Appearances

Ruba Ali Al-Hassani: Working With Survivors

Muslim American Leadership Alliance  print

2016-11-25

"This year [2016], MALA is spotlighting individual stories from men and women who take a stand to eliminate violence against women, both nationally and globally. Our community looks forward to supporting UN Women’s Orange the World Campaign to support efforts to end violence against women and girls worldwide. UN Women and partners around the world are marking the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence, launching from International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women on November 25th until UN’s International Human Rights Day on December 10th."

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Canada's Muslims embrace their country – even when it doesn't embrace back

The Christian Science Monitor  print

2017-02-20

Did an interview with The Christian Science Monitor and spoke on behalf of the Canadian Association of Muslim Women in Law. In this interview, I addressed the rise of Islamophobia in Canada.

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Nearly 35,000 Civilians Displaced from Mosul (Iraq)

Press TV  tv

2017-03-03

Interview with Press TV, where the displacement of thousands of civilians from Mosul, Iraq, is discussed.

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Event Appearances

Stories told through social mobilization for, and understanding of, the Welfare State

the Friedrich Ebert Stiftung Young Leaders’ Regional Thematic Network - Workshop Theme: “Know Your Rights: Towards More Active Participation of Youth in the Application of the Social Protection & Welfare Law”  Baghdad, Iraq (via video conferencing)

2015-09-18

Empathy: An Important Step Towards Personal and National Reconciliation

The Annual Conference of the Institute of War and Peace Reporting – Conference Theme: “Combating Social Extremism”  Baghdad, Iraq (via video conferencing)

2015-04-25

Articles

Women’s Bodies, Hair, and Clothing: What’s There to Normalize?

The Huffington Post

2016-09-25

The article discusses the international obsession with women's bodies - particularly Muslim women's bodies. This obsession results in hijab and burkini bans in Europe, as well as in Muslim women's attempts to normalize the hijab, and the social repercussions. The article also discusses a Muslim woman's experience with alopecia.

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Wahhabism: The Ideology of Hate

The Huffington Post

2016-09-15

The article discusses Wahhabism, Saudi Arabia's official state ideology, which also inspires terrorism and misogyny.

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Human Rights Advocacy, Sectarianism, and Other Biases

1001 Iraqi Thoughts

2015-04-17

The article discusses the anti-Shia sectarianism that has been normalized by, and which guides, international human rights organizations reporting on Iraq.

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